Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi ...just wanted to post that we decided on amputation for my beautiful great dane diagnosed with osteosarcoma..surgery is scheduled for tuesday 5/24....I am terrified! Any advice for immediately after she comes home? The vet expects to send her home the same day!! So nervous..I am heart broken for her....and me!
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Why is your vet sending Lucy home the same day? Do they not have overnight care? There may be no cause for concern, but to play it safe you should have the number of your nearest emergency vet. Don't be surprised if Lucy is lethargic, weak, and despondent when you pick her up. By coming home early she will still be working the anesthesia drugs out of her system.Â
Be sure to bookmark Jerry's Required Reading List for the best tips and advice. Confinement and rest is key to safe recovery. If you have hardwood floors, consider placing non-slip rugs throughout your home or check out these other traction solutions to help Lucy get around. An elevated feeding station will also make it easier for her to eat and drink more comfortably. Finally, if Lucy requires assistance getting around, you can use a soft towel slung under the belly, or a canvas shopping bag slit down the sides as a sling to help support her.
Best wishes, please keep us posted!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
When Abby had her amp surgery, they told us she could go home the same day. It was the Friday before Halloween, and when the surgery was done the vet called to warn us that she looked like "Frankenstein's dog." He said she was fine to go home with us that night, but if we were worried about caring for her, we could take her to an overnight facility nearby (not a full hospital - but just a little ER/overnight sort of place). Do you have anything like that near you?
We went to see her and were a little unprepared for/freaked out by how big the incision was, so try to be prepared for that. Although the vet kept reassuring us that Abby (and we) would be fine if we took her home, we decided to take her to the overnight facility so that (a) she could get IV pain meds all night and be monitored all night and (b) so that we could try to get one last good night's sleep before she came home. It added about another $300 to the cost of her surgery, but I was glad we took her there in the long run, although really... we prob'y would have been fine to bring her home. But I know I wouldn't have slept at all!
So, if you have something like that near you, you might want to consider it. But if you don't, you'll get through it! Just keep reminding yourself that the first couple of weeks are the worst part - but it's going to get WAY better really fast. And then your beautiful girl won't be in pain anymore. (I documented everything with Abby in her blog at poochsmooches.blogspot.com if you want to go back to the early posts and see what to expect.)
Good luck and I hope the surgery goes perfectly. Remember to come here whenever you need support! We've been there!
Jackie, Abby's mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
thank you .. thank you. i am so scared by this and i do have an emergency animal hospital in case she needs it. i am so nervous. i so dont want to make her suffer in any way. i am going to give her alot of good food and love this weekend before her surgery and my husband can be home the two days after her surgery. I wish so much i didnt have to work... thanks again for your input..  Dawn
Try to put off your fear and nervousness - you need to get as much sleep and healthy eating as you can now. Â Deep breaths. Â This has been done before; you'll get through it too, even if it totally sucks. Â The post-healing results are so worth it! Â One thing to keep in mind when she's home is that some side effects of the pain meds ("vocalizing"/whining, restlessness) seem like pain, but aren't necessarily. Â If your vet hasn't talked to you about that kind of thing, I'd recommend asking what to expect, and what to watch for that would be a concern and warrant getting her into the vet asap. Â
Gerry has been a tripawd since 12/16/2009.
He was a shelter dog with a mysterious past and an irrepairable knee injury.
Videos and pics of Gerry's pawesomeness can be found at: http://gerry.tripawds.com
Thanks so much for your reply. Everyone mentions the pain meds. What pain meds are generally given post surgery. Narcotics? Which ones did your pup get?
I would ask for gabapentin if I were you. Sammy had phantom pain after his Fentynal patch wore off. I guess if they start to give it before the surgery it works much better. If you can I would also PM Dr. Pam, she is here as tazziedog. She can answer these questions 🙂
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Get plenty of sleep over the weekend, that is the biggest thing I recommend. I didn't sleep for a couple of days before the surgery because I was so freaked out and my pup, and then it was 3 or 4 days after the surgery before we got any sleep.
Elizabeth and Sammy
Diagnosed with osteosarcoma in the right front leg 8/23/10,
leg fractured 8/27/10,
leg amputated 8/30/10
http://sammyand.....pawds.com/
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I couldn't begin to say how special Sammy is to us. Living and laughing with and loving this wonderful boy is priceless.
I usually keep dogs on a morphine pain drip (MLK) for at least 24 hours after a major surgery like an amputation, slowly weaning them off and checking for pain. I also strongly recommend gabapentin starting 1 day before surgery and continuing for 1-2 weeks post-op (for phantom pain ). I like to also place a Fentanyl pain patch the day before and remove it 3-5 days after surgery. Most dogs get an NSAID like Rimadyl or Metacam for 7-14 days and Tramadol as needed.
It is my personal opinion that sending a giant dog like a Great Dane home the same day is too early. I kept my Mastiff Tazzie in the hospital for 3 nights but that was partly because she needed IV fluids and antibiotics for a liver issue. If your vet does not have overnight care maybe you could offer to pay for a tech to stay overnight with your dog or consider transfer to the overnight clinic.
Pam
Excellent feedback Dr. Pam, thank you.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Dawn, that terrified feeling will not leave you until you see she is out of surgery and able to get around. I left Trouble at the vet for surgery the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and cried all the way to work. When she came hopping out on Friday to greet us I was the happiest I'd been all week.
Recovery is not a fun time. There are good days and bad days even for the ones who adapt quickly. Get as much rest as you can now, and more importantly, resist the urge to sit and watch her sleep when she gets home. If Lucy sleeps, you sleep, otherwise you will find yourself exhausted. (words of experience here) You will hear her if she needs you.
This is a very difficult period in your life, but you (and Lucy) will face the journey together, and we will be here to support you.
Shanna & Spirit Trouble ~ Trouble gained her wings 3/16/2011, a 27 1/2 month cancer survivor, tail wagging. RIP sweetheart, you are my heart and soul. Run free at Rainbow Bridge.
The November Five - Spirits Max, Cherry, Tika, Trouble & Nova. 11/2008 - 3/2013 An era ends as Queen Nova crossed the Bridge.
Think of Tuesday as instant pain relief day for Lucy and maybe that will help. I brought Alex home on the same day. I think I would have had a tougher time getting through the night without him here. Clearly lots of work that first 24 hour, but so rewarding... Be thinking of you and your girl.
I brought Roman home the same day after right front leg amputation, his vet doesn't do overnight. I was by myself, husband was out of town for a month for work. I immediately realized why the specialist vet an hour and a half away keeps dogs 1-2 nights and charges 4 times as much as his regular vet. It was an extremely scary experience. If you have family or friends to be with you that's great, but the first 24 hours were awful. I had to call a friend from work to leave work and help me get Roman out of my car stretcher style on a sheet. Roman weighs about 85 lbs. Roman cried nonstop, he was completely out of it. His left side was limp, even his face looked like he had had a stroke or something. Things did not get less scary for at least a day and a half. The first time he got up and went outside to pee was such a relief of course this was in the middle of the night. Its OK though because I was sleeping next to him on the floor because he would cry and try to follow me if I made a move to leave, this made going to the bathroom myself difficult, I had to wait 2 days for a shower when my Mom came from out of town to help out. The next morning after surgery the first thing he did when I touched him, nowhere near his inscicion by the way, was to have some phantom limb pain. High pitched yelping and crying!! Very, VERY, scary if you dont know whats happening. I looked it up online after regaining my composure. I would have called the vet but it was 6ish in the A.M. and his vet doesn't open til 8.
I dont want to scare you , Im just sharing my experience, I hope it helps, I kind of wish I had been forewarned. Your smart to ask for advice here, I wish I had had more time before his surgery or asked more questions, hindsight is 20-20. Roman is doing very well now, though the first 2 weeks are ruff, he had a bad seroma that opened up at the end of week 2 and this requires keeping him locked inside and daily trips home on lunch breaks to drain it and do hot packs and let him out to pee. We're in week 5 now and the seroma is a day or 2 from closing itself. Fingers crossed. Good Luck.
You're right romanrizzle, it's good to share stories, no matter how scary. Information is power. We hope your boy is nearing the end of the ruff spots! Sure sounds like it 🙂
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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